Please comment on this build before I buy

[ioticus]

I'm thinking of getting this gaming PC from Cyberpower. I plan to game on a 24 inch WS LCD at 1920X1200. I want the computer to last 2 years before I buy another new system. Please make comments or suggestions before I pull the trigger. Final cost is $2196 shipped. Thanks!

# *BASE_PRICE: [+1659]
# CAS: NEW!!! CoolerMaster Cosmos Silent Gaming Tower Case w/ 420 Watts Power Supply [+66] (Original Color)
# CASUPGRADE: NONE
# CS_FAN: Extra Case Cooling Fan [+3] (1 x Fan)
# CPU: (Sckt775)Intel® Core? 2 Duo E6850 CPU @ 3.00GHz 1333FSB 4MB L2 Cache 64-bit
# CD: COMBO DRIVE (16X DVD-ROM & 52x32x52 CD-RW) [-9] (BLACK COLOR)
# CD2: LiteOn LH-20A1H 20X Double Layer DVD+-RW Super Allwrite + Lightscribe Technology [+40] (Black Color)
# CABLE: None
# FLASHMEDIA: INTERNAL 12in1 Flash Media Reader/Writer [+10] (BLACK COLOR)
# FREEBIE_CU1: FREE Game! Lost Planet: Extreme Condition
# FREEBIE_CU2: FREE! CyberPower Multi-Purpose Carrying Briefcase ($19.99 Value)
# FREEBIE_CU3: FREE! Cyberpower Unleash The Power T-Shirt ($19 Value)
# FAN: Artic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro 92mm CPU Cooling Fan (Extreme Silent at 20dBA & Overclock Proof) [-32]
# FREEBIE_VC2: None
# FLOPPY: 1.44 MB FLOPPY DRIVE (BLACK COLOR)
# HDD: Single Hard Drive (150GB Gaming Western Digital Rapter 10,000RPM SATA150 16MB Cache WD1500ADFD [+105])
# HDD2: NONE
# IEEE_CARD: NONE
# KEYBOARD: NONE [-7]
# MOUSE: NONE [-5]
# MODEM: NONE [-7]
# MONITOR: NONE
# MONITOR2: NONE
# MOTHERBOARD: (3-Way SLI & Q9650 Supported) EVGA nForce 780i SLI Mainboard FSB1333 DDR2 3 x PCIe x16 SATA RAID w/ USB2.0,IEEE1394,&7.1Audio [+132]
# MEMORY: (Req.DDR2 MainBoard)4GB (4x1GB) PC6400 DDR2/800 Dual Channel Memory (Corsair Value Select or Major Brand)
# NETWORK: ONBOARD 10/100 NETWORK CARD
# OS: Microsoft® Windows Vista? Home Premium (64-bit Edition)
# PRO_WIRING: Professional Wiring for All WIRINGs Inside The System Chasis with High Performance Thermal Compound on CPU [+19]
# PRINTER: None
# PRINTER_CABLE: None
# POWERSUPPLY: 800 Watts Power Supplies [+70] (NZXT PP-800 800 Watts Power Supply)
# RUSH: NO; READY TO SHIP IN 5~10 BUSINESS DAYS
# SOFT: Microsoft® Works Suite 2006 w/Works8, Word 2002, Encarta, Money, Digital Image, & Streets&Trips [+29]
# SERVICE: STANDARD WARRANTY: 3-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY PLUS 24/7 LIFE-TIME TECHNICAL SUPPORT
# SOUND: Creative Labs X-FI XtremeGamer 24-BIT PCI Sound Card [+89]
# SPEAKERS: NONE [-72]
# TEMP: THERMAL TEMPERATURE LCD DISPLAY WITH 3X FAN CONTROLLER [+12] (WHITE COLOR)
# TVRC: None
# USB: Built-in USB 2.0 Ports
# UPS: None
# USBHD: NONE
# VIDEO: NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT 512MB 16X PCI Express (EVGA Powered by NVIDIA [+5])
# VIDEO2: NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT 512MB 16X PCI Express (EVGA Powered by NVIDIA [+5])
# VIDEO3: NONE
# VIDEOCAMERA: NONE
# WNC: PCI Wireless 802.11g 54Mbps Network Interface Card [+19]
# _PRICE: (+2131)

 

[DSF]

With all the "stuff" in it, I suppose it's not a bad price. It's not the kind of computer I'd put together, but if it's what you want, it's what you want.

Personally, I'd back down a notch on the CPU. 2.66GHz from the E6750 is plenty for the next two years, and you'll save yourself 90 bucks.

 

[Blain]

CoolerMaster Cosmos...
GIANT, heavy, but good looking case.

 

[ioticus]

No other comments before I buy?

 

[hurtstotalktoyou]

Originally posted by: ioticus
I'm thinking of getting this gaming PC from Cyberpower. I plan to game on a 24 inch WS LCD at 1920X1200. I want the computer to last 2 years before I buy another new system. Please make comments or suggestions before I pull the trigger. Final cost is $2196 shipped. Thanks!

Well, let's see. The stuff you listed is a bit hard to read. Here's my transcription of it in normal type:

Vista Home Premium 64-bit
Cooler Master Cosmos Silent Gaming Tower w/ 420W PSU
unknown case fan
E6850 (retail?)
unknown CDRW/DVDROM drive
Lite-on LH-20A1H
12-in-1 flash reader
Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro CPU hsf
floppy drive
150GB Raptor SATA/150
eVGA nForce 780i SLI motherboard
4GB (4x1GB) DDR2-800
NZXT PP-800
SoundBlaster X-Fi XtremeGamer 24-bit PCI sound card
cooler for LCD display
eVGA 8800GT 512MB (x2?)
802.11g WLAN card
Works Suite 2006
Lost Planet: Extreme Condition (free game)
free briefcase & t-shirt
TOTAL: $2196

I have to say I don't understand a two things. First of all, why Cyberpower? I mean, if you want retail components, go with Newegg, Fry's and other such places who don't charge through the nose. If you want someone to build it for you, go with HP or Dell, which are *still* cheaper.

Second, what's with all the strange components? For example, why the sketchy NZXT for a PSU, when *much* more reliable Seasonics and Antecs can be had at the same price? And wouldn't dual core be a better choice at that price point, especially if you're overclocking? Why a Raptor, when more reliable and larger drives can be striped in RAID 0 for faster performance? Why a pair of 8800GTs when a single 8800GTX or even 8800GTS should be faster?

I think you need to explain what you need and why before we can critique your build.

 

[ioticus]

Originally posted by: hurtstotalktoyou


I have to say I don't understand a two things. First of all, why Cyberpower? I mean, if you want retail components, go with Newegg, Fry's and other such places who don't charge through the nose. If you want someone to build it for you, go with HP or Dell, which are *still* cheaper.

Second, what's with all the strange components? For example, why the sketchy NZXT for a PSU, when *much* more reliable Seasonics and Antecs can be had at the same price? And wouldn't dual core be a better choice at that price point, especially if you're overclocking? Why a Raptor, when more reliable and larger drives can be striped in RAID 0 for faster performance? Why a pair of 8800GTs when a single 8800GTX or even 8800GTS should be faster?

I think you need to explain what you need and why before we can critique your build.

I don't agree with anything you said. First, not only do Dell and HP not offer all the options that Cyberpower does, but they are *much* more expensive with what they do offer.

There are no Seasonic or Antecs PSUs available from Cyberpower, but have since changed my PSU to a Xion SuperNova, which appears to be good based on Newegg reviews.

The CPU I chose is dual core, and I have no plans to overclock.

RAID 0 offers no practical speed increase in games, and doubles your chance of losing data to HD failure. I wanted the fastest drive so I chose the Raptor. I don't really need much HD space since I have multiple external drives already.

A pair of GTs is *much* faster than a single GTX, expecially at high resolution in most games. Since 2 GTs is less than the cost of a GTX, why not put 2 in SLI?

 

[hurtstotalktoyou]

Originally posted by: ioticus

I don't agree with anything you said. First, not only do Dell and HP not offer all the options that Cyberpower does, but they are *much* more expensive with what they do offer.

That may be true most of the time, but not with the inflated build you have going. You can customize a comparable HP system with 640MB 8800GTS, 4GB RAM and E6850 for just under what you're planning on paying for the CyberPower rig. And of course the benefit of having a big name behind you is enhanced, reliable and accessible customer support.

There are no Seasonic or Antecs PSUs available from Cyberpower, but have since changed my PSU to a Xion SuperNova, which appears to be good based on Newegg reviews.

The Xion sounds better than the NZXT, I suppose. However, this begs the question why you insist on CyberPower. Do you want a pre-built?

The CPU I chose is dual core, and I have no plans to overclock.

How come?

RAID 0 offers no practical speed increase in games,

I haven't seen any specifically gaming-oriented benchmarks, but RAID 0 is generally faster in benchmarks than a single Raptor.

and doubles your chance of losing data to HD failure.

Yes, well... sort of. Failure rate is a curve over time, not a set value. So it's more accurate to say that the lifespan of a RAID 0 array is about half that of a single drive. However, this number may be somewhat lengthened due to the supposed difference in lifespans between Raptors and 7200RPM drives. Moreover, this is only meaningful when discussing data loss, as the failure of one drive does not physically inhibit the other. In any case, since you apparently plan to use this as your main rig for a measly two years, hard disk failure shouldn't be a concern.

I wanted the fastest drive so I chose the Raptor. I don't really need much HD space since I have multiple external drives already.

Well, I just find it difficult to justify such a steep price premium (in both $ and GB) for such minimal gains.

A pair of GTs is *much* faster than a single GTX, expecially at high resolution in most games. Since 2 GTs is less than the cost of a GTX, why not put 2 in SLI?

Are you sure a pair of 512MB GTs would out-perform a 640MB GTS? I can't find precise benchmarks to that effect, but it seems like a good bet.

 

[ioticus]

Looking at HP, the closest I could come to my build was a computer with a single 640MB GTS for $2,050. A single 640MB GTS is much slower than a single 8800 GT, much less 2 of them in SLI. If they offered anything better than the 640MB GTS (even the faster 512MB GTS), they might be worth considering.

I don't plan to overclock because I have no idea what I'm doing and don't want to risk frying my CPU.

 

[DSF]

Originally posted by: hurtstotalktoyou
I haven't seen any specifically gaming-oriented benchmarks, but RAID 0 is generally faster in benchmarks than a single Raptor.

And in games, there's very little benefit, if any. Anandtech has done several tests on the subject. Putting Raptors in RAID 0 saved 1 second on a roughly 60-second level loading time. That's negligible. (At least in my opinion.)

Originally posted by: hurtstotalktoyou
Are you sure a pair of 512MB GTs would out-perform a 640MB GTS? I can't find precise benchmarks to that effect, but it seems like a good bet.

A single 512MB GT outperforms the original G80 core 8800GTSs. With 2 GTs in SLI, it's no contest.

Edit: For what it's worth ioticus, as long as you're cautious there's not much risk of frying your system. I've never overclocked before, but it's quiet easy on a Core2Duo platform.